Emerald Club members can choose exact rental car prior to arrival at rental facility.
ST. LOUIS – National Car Rental is giving its Emerald Club members additional control in 2015 with the enhancement of its “Virtual Aisle” mobile application feature. Now with expanded service at 19 of National’s U.S. rental facilities, the “Virtual Aisle” allows members to see the real-time inventory available at select airport locations, then choose and reserve the specific car they wish to drive.
“Efficiency is a top priority for our Emerald Club members when they travel,” said Rob Connors, assistant vice president of brand marketing at National Car Rental. “With that in mind, we created this feature within our app to give our customers greater control and provide the ease they’ve come to expect when they rent with us.”
National expedites the rental process for Emerald Club members by offering counter bypass as well as access to National’s “Emerald Aisle,” an exclusive section of the lot where members can select any vehicle as long as they reserve a mid-sized car. The National app’s “Virtual Aisle” provides members with similar efficiency and control over their vehicle selection at locations where Emerald Aisle service is not available.
National’s app premiered in 2013 to provide a robust mobile experience designed to simplify frequent travel beyond just booking a car. With features such as rental tracking, Emerald Club profile management and rental facility locator, the app provides travelers with one place to manage their rentals. National developed the app with input from “road warriors,” including members of its award-winning Emerald Club and its 300-member “Emerald Exchange Community,” which consists of Emerald Club members who travel and rent vehicles regularly.
Other new features now active on National’s mobile application include optimization for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus; the ability to view details about past trips; utilization of iOS Touch ID to sign into Emerald Club profile pages; the option to rate a vehicle during the rental; and the ability to access FAQs and email customer service.
The “Virtual Aisle” feature was initially piloted in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Richmond, Virginia; and Omaha, Nebraska, and is now also available at National’s airport rental facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee; Norfolk, Virginia; Albany, New York; Buffalo, New York; Rochester, New York; Little Rock, Arkansas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Huntsville, Alabama; Greensboro, North Carolina; Long Beach, California; Honolulu, Hawaii; Tucson, Arizona; Reno, Nevada; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Mesa Gateway in Phoenix, Arizona; and Savannah, Georgia.
National’s commitment to providing its “road warrior” customers with greater control is reflected in the brand’s new television commercial featuring actor Patrick Warburton. To view the new ads, visit National’s YouTube channel.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
